Edy Ganem – In Other Words

By starrymag | September 20, 2020

By: Malasha Parker

 

 

Q) What was the description you received for your character, Karina Salas, in In Other Words?

 

A) Honestly, I don’t remember if I received a description as a character breakdown. Normally you get one when you audition but this role was offered to me. Cristina [Nava] and Patrick [Perez Vidauri] (who I’ve known for many years because we’ve worked together before) reached out and told me about In Other Words and sent me the script to see if I’d be into playing Karina.

 

Q) How do you relate to Karina Salas?

 

A) In several ways actually! She’s a very positive person and I always try to be that way and look at the good side of things. Karina is a hard-working single mother who dreams of bigger things for herself and her family. She’s also proud of her heritage and is happy to share it with others. I love my Latin background and I’m proud of our culture, food, music, language, etc. and I always feel happy to say where my family comes from and where I grew up. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am and I’m still working hard every day so I could really see a lot of similarities between myself and Karina.

 

Q) What made you want to get involved with the romantic comedy, In Other Words?

 

A) I really liked the script!  It was very refreshing to read about strong female characters and their stories. I was also very pleased to see Mexico being portrayed as the Mexico I know; a beautiful country with gorgeous places to visit, delicious food and warm, welcoming people. And finally, I couldn’t possibly say no to Patrick (director) and Cristina (writer).

 

Q) What did you love most about filming this movie?

 

A) The people – it always comes down to the people for me. It was a bit stressful because my daughter was five months old at the time and I was still breastfeeding, but this was a little bit of an escape from 24/7 mommy life. In general, it’s always very fun for me to be on the set working. I love what I do and I’ve been very lucky to work with really amazing people in each project I’ve been a part of.

 

Q) What was it like filming with director, Patrick Perez Vidauri?

 

A) Fun! Like I said, I’ve worked with Patrick before so I feel very at ease with him. He makes you feel very comfortable always and you know you can talk to him because he actually listens to you. It’s nice to know you can discuss your character (or whatever issue you may have) with the director. I’d be happy to keep working with him in the future.

 

Q) This film is made by and starring LatinX people. How do you think the story it’s telling will resonate with the LatinX community?

 

A) I hope people will be pleased to see the way we are representing our heritage and culture. Most movies and TV shows that show Latin themes (countries and characters) tend to focus on things like drugs, crime, etc. and In Other Words does the opposite and puts the spotlight on the good.

 

Q) What were some of your favorite moments from filming In Other Words?

 

A) The funny scenes were always a blast! Bryan McClure is such a great guy to work with and I had so much fun with him. But also, when we were not filming I had so much fun with our crew; that is when I wasn’t alone in some room pumping breastmilk! The hair and makeup girls were hilarious; I miss them. The locations were lovely, too.

 

Q) What kind of characters would you like to play that you haven’t gotten to already?

 

A) I’d love to play some darker characters, too. Don’t get me wrong; I’m very grateful that I get to play strong, happy, positive women! I just think it would be great for my career to play someone that has to overcome some deep issues and obstacles. I’d also love to play a singer, maybe a rockstar!

 

Q) What role would you say has been the hardest for you to get into character and why?

 

A) I think it was the role of Alejandra Batista in Created Equal. I play a nun that sues the Catholic Church because she wants to become a priest and they only allow men to do so. I grew up in a sort of “Catholic world” and never questioned this issue so I felt interested right away after reading the script. I went to Catholic schools all my life, so I knew many nuns growing up but I never really knew what their lives were like. I had to really dive deep into what it meant to be someone like her. She was always mostly selfless; doing good and trying to help others. The challenge for me was that I had to keep her real. She’s good but not perfect or a saint. She’s a good human that wants to do good, stands up for what she believes in and also very strong. So, I had to find that balance for her and it was a different journey than most of the other characters I’ve ever played.

 

Q) You’ve been involved in a few dramedy shows and movies. What about this genre do you like so much?

A) It’s a lot of fun; the characters deal with their issues but things never get too, too serious and you can always count on having a good laugh, too.

 

Q) You have recently been a part of many independent films. Why are these kinds of films so important for you to be a part of them?

A) Independent films are where the real art lives. The people who write these films are not trying to please some executive at a big studio. These films are real stories about real people and they are full of emotions and feeling and uncomfortable moments and truths. These independent movies go to film festivals and get bought there. The big studios sometimes acquire them, but initially they’re made with very little money but a lot of passion. This passion is important because this is how real talent is kept alive; it’s an opportunity to create and this is also how many directors, writers and actors get their start and/or big breaks.

 

Q) What other projects do you have in the works?

A) Aside from In Other Words being out now I also have Useless Humans available via most online platforms. And I recently finished filming an independent film called 7th and Union. It was one of the first (if not the first) movie to go into production here in Los Angeles during COVID.

Finally, I also have another movie that should probably come out very soon but nothing official has been announced so I can’t quite say yet. As soon as I know I’ll post all about it on my social media.

 

Q) What would you like to say to people who are fans of your work?

 

A) I would say “THANK YOU!” for their support and love. Please know that I always try to engage as much as I can via social media. I think it’s great that we have these tools to actually communicate with people. I try to answer as many messages as I can and post the stuff I’m working on, etc. I also want everyone to know I believe in being good to others; we are all humans and should respect and treat others the way we want to be treated.